N/E/X/T/Garden:  Featured Native Plant

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Gambelia speciosa (Island Bush Snapdragon)
 
Identifying characteristics:
Leaves are lime-green [‘Firecracker’ variety has tomentose (“fuzzy”) leaves]
Bark is grayish light-brown
Flowers are bright red and most abundant in spring
Grows to ~3’ high and ~5’+ wide (spreading)
 
Landscape Values:
Fast growth rate once established
Sprawling habit (suitable for groundcover)
Attractive evergreen foliage plant (e.g. when out of bloom)
Strongly attracts hummingbirds
Forage for Checkerspot Butterfly caterpillars
 
Horticultural Requirements:
Full to part sun (performs best with a few hours of shade, any time of day)
Drought-tolerant but tolerates garden watering (deep watering maintains foliage during drought)
Grows well from the seaside to the mountains
Tolerates a range of drainage (slow to fast)
Neutral soil acidity/alkalinity (pH 6.0-8.0)
Tip-prune intermittently for compactness
Structural (drop) pruning is best done in late-summer (when old, woody stems may be removed)
 
Native Range:
Catalina, San Clemente, Guadalupe Islands
 
Uses by Native Americans:
Unknown


For more information about the N/E/X/T/Garden, where this Featured Native Plant grows, click here.
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For additional information about this Featured Native Plant, email:  Info@PalisadesBeautiful.org.